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Writing in Tribune of June 14th, Fenner Brockway described Fernando _ Terry, victor of the recent presidsntal election in Peru, as an 'indepenient socialist candidate’, and the subsequent issue of Tribune presented his win as a victory for socialian, This Uilitant articls puts anothsr view:
"In an election in which only two million of the country's 12 million population can vote, Fransisco Belaunde Terry was elected president of Peru. The other principal candidates in the June 9th election ware Victor Raul Haye de la Torre, who was once an anti-imperialist bit has long since been a turncoat to that struggle, and General Mamiel A, Odria, a former dictator, All three candidates campaigned on a program of vague reforms, to be carried out mainly by private initiative, and close; ations with the U.S.
"“Belaunde Terry is a wealthy, U.S.-educated architect. He is the leader of the Popular ‘ction Party and received more than one-third of the votea cast, the requirement for the election, Haya de la Torre claims to have beaten Belaunde in last year: election, it that time de la Torre had U.S, backing while the Peruvian military backed Belaunde. The militarists : seiged power and annulled the election results, The Kennedy administration = % which had been counting heavily on the pro-impserialist liberals of Latin America — Betancgurt of Venesuala, Bosch of the Dominican Republic, Haya de la Torre of Peru, etc. — for implementing its /.lliance for Progress policies, at first refused to recogniss the government of the military junta,. However, it soon climbed down fiom this position and has since looked with favour on the Peruvian government's anti-Cuba and internal witch—-hunting activities,
"The Jane 12 Christian Science Monitor reports: “But the military was expectad to approve the election of Ir. Belaunde, who although he had the support of the nation's small tut cutlarod Commnist Party, is s0en as a conservativa. He alao had the baud¢ing of the Roman Catholics" A New York Times editorial (June 13th) on the election outcome, says; "The President-elect accepted Comminist and other far left votes in this elections...+eNone of this is alarming. Senor Belaunde, despite his cempaign is anti-communist, pro-United States and pro-Alliance for Progress, He is acceptable to the Feruvian military and most certainly to Washington,"
"The great mass of Peruvians are not allowed to vote. They are the poor landless, Indian campesinos, Recently Hugo Blanco, leader of a land reform ie movement among these peasants, was captured by the Peruvian police. He is “© Yumoured to be sick or wounded and will be tried for his life. It is feared that his being held incommnica do is a cover for the police to torture hin, In a cablegram to President-elect Balaunde Terry on June 16th, Farrell Dobbs, national secretary of the Socialist Yorkers Party demanded that the new Peruvian government immediately allow Blanco to have medical attention, to choose a defen's lawyer and receive visits from his family and friends. Dobbs also called on the Peruvian president-elect to dismiss the charges against Blanco and free him to resums work of liberating the campesinos from conditions approaching feudal servitude,"
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Having noted the above it should be noted that there have been a number of developments in Peru in recent days which should encourage us in our crmpaign for the reloase of Hugo Blanco, The New China News Agency reported this woek the reloase of a number of political prisoners including the secretary of the Commnist Party, and several trade union leaders, Also several strikes have taken place, notably by Government employees, which the military junta have folt unable to suppress. | if aa 0 ree ee